Identification means for keys



1965 s. R. MANZARDO 3,209,479

IDENTIFICATION MEANS FOR KEYS Filed March 28, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Iva/anim- J', R. Mz-nzario A tit/J.

Oct. 5, 1965 R. MANZARDO IDENTIFICATION MEANS FOR KEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 28, 1963 United States Patent 3,209,479 IDENTIFICATION MEANS FOR KEYS Scipione Roger Manzardo, Schwanenplatz 4,

Lucerne, Switzerland Filed Mar. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 268,807 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Apr. 2, 1962, 4,058/ 62 Claims. (Cl. 40-330) For keys, identification means have been made known which consists of a rubber-elastic body having a pocket accessible from an outer surface of the body to take the handle of a key to be marked, and a second pocket for insertion of a designation plate, the front Wall of the lastmentioned pocket being provided with an opening for making visible the inserted designation plate.

The instant invention relates to a further form of an identification means of the type described. The novelty is principally that the body has, in addition to the said two pockets, at least one rather large recess which goes through from one outer surface of the body to the opposite one and is particularly adapted for the temporary reception of message slips.

The identification means according to the invention are especially suitable for use in hotels, boarding houses, swimming pools, businesses, etc. as they permit of inserting in the identification means itself any message addressed to the user of the key and of being certain that it will reach him. Thereby it may be a question of a message of the management or of private news which had possibly been transmitted by telephone.

Further features of the invention will appear from the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein there are shown, purely by way of example, some forms of embodiment of the object of invention.

In said annexed drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a first form of embodiment of the identification means, a flat key distinguished by the identification means being indicated in chain dotted lines;

FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section of the identification means;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the identification means, with key and message slips indicated chain-dotted;

FIG. 5 shows a front view of a second form of the identification means as attached to a bit key;

FIG. 6 shows the same objects from the side and partially in longitudinal section;

FIG. 7 is a front view of a third form of the identification means;

FIGS. 8 and 9 each represent a side view and a partlongitudinal section of the same form in different conditions;

FIG. 10 shows a rear view of a fourth form of the identification means.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the identification means shown consists of a fiat rubber-elastic body 10 of, ay, plastic material or natural rubber. In body 10 there is provided a first pocket 11 which, at the lower marginal surface of the body 10, terminates in a slot-like opening 12 and is intended to receive the handle 13 of a key 14, especially a fiat key. On one of the two opposite wall faces of pocket 11 there is provided a cam 15 which consists together with the body 10 of the same piece of material. Cam 15 is intended to be inserted into the usual hole 16 in the key handle 13. When the key handle 13 is inserted into pocket 11, the body 10 must be stretched according to the size of the key handle. Although the inserted key handle 13 is usually held in the pocket 11 by the elasticity of body 10, the cam 15 inserted into the hole 16 of the key handle 13 means additional security of the key 14 on body 10.

Substantially in the same plane as the pocket 11 in body 10 there is provided a second pocket 17 which terminates on a lateral edge surface of body 10 by means of a slotlike opening 18. Pocket 17 serves for inserting a designation plate 19 whose lettering or printing is visible through an opening 20 provided in the front wall of pocket 17. To prevent the designation plate 19 from slipping out of pocket 17 unintentionally, the latter has formed thereon two wedge-shaped locking cams 21; but only one might be provided.

Additionally to the two pockets 11 and 17, the body 10 has also a larger recess 22 designed as slot, which extends from one lateral edge surface of body 10 to the opposite one. The additional recess 22 runs in a plane parallel to the front and rear sides of body 10, which plane also lies parallel to the aforementioned plane containing the pockets 11 and 17. Recess 22 is disposed between the rear side of body 10 and the two pockets 11 and 17 and serves especially for taking message slips 23 or other objects. Because of the rubber-elastic stretching of body 10, the recess 22 may therefore be enlarged if need be for inserting a slip 23 or the like.

Near the upper edge of body 10, i.e. at the marginal portion turned away from the opening 12 of pocket 11 there is an aperture 24 for letting a suspension means through, say a hook. In order to facilitate introduction of a hook into aperture 24, adjacent the aperture 24 the body is less thick, this being ensured by an obliquely running groove 25.

In order easily to recognize the proper position of insertion of the key 14 even in the dark, the body 10 includes a feeler projection 26.

The aforedescribed identification means may be put not only on the handle of a flat key 14, but if necessary also on the ring-shaped handle of a bit key. For this, however, the form according to FIGS. 5 and 6 is more convenient.

The difference between the embodiment according to FIGS. 5 and 6 and the first form is that cam 15 is omitted and instead the two walls opposite each other of pocket 11 have each an aperture for sticking a fastening means 30 therethrough. One of said apertures opens into recess 22. The fastening means 30 may, for instance, be a onepart or two-part rivet which is applied only when the handle 33 of the key 34 to be identified is inserted into pocket 11. One rivet head is at the forward outer side of body 10. while the other rivet head is lodged in a depression 35 in the inner Wall of recess 22. By the fastening means 30, the ring-shaped handle 33 of the bit key 35 may be firmly secured in pocket 11 so that the user of the key cannot detach it from the identification means.

Obviously, it is also possible to have a flat key secured in the last-described manner to an identification means according to FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIGS. 79 show a modification to the form illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. The difference consists only in that each of the two edges opposite each other in opening 12 of the pocket 11 serving for taking a key handle, has provided thereon a flexible lobe 40 and 41 respectively consisting of the same piece of material as the body 10. At least one lobe 40 is provided with an aperture 42. If need be, the two lobes 40 and 41 permit of the pocket 11 being narrowed, if the identification means has to be placed on a particularly thin or small key handle. To that effect the lobes 40 and 41 are tucked inside the pocket 11, the cam 15 being thus caused to engage the aperture 42 (FIG. 9). The handle of the fiat key to be identified is then inserted in the space left between the two inwardly tucked lobes 40 and 41 and secured by inserting the cam into the usual hole in the key handle.

If, by tucking in the two lobes and 41, the space for the key handle should become too narrow, only one of the lobes may be tucked in. The other lobe, then not required, may be readily detached from the rest of the body 10 by means of scissors. In case neither of the lobes 40 and 41 is needed, both may be detached by means of scissors, whereupon the identification means assumes the form as in FIGS. 1-4.

In the form shown in FIG. 10, the wall of the recess 22 facing the back of body 10 is provided with two apertures 45, through which an object inserted in the recess 22 may be easily recognized, even if it should not protrude laterally from the openings of recess 22, as in the form shown in FIG. 4. It is understood that the number of apertures might also be smaller or larger.

In a form of embodiment (not shown) of the identification means, the body 10 may, in addition to the two pockets 11 and 17, have more than one additional recess 22; for instance a second additional recess in the form of a throughgoing slot might be arranged above the pocket 17 for the designation plate 19.

In many cases it is of advantage to have the back and/ or front of the body 10 provided with embossed or engraved lettering, for instance the name of the hotel, business, etc.

The described identification means may be made in different colors in order to obtain, in addition to the markings on the designation plate 19, further possibilities of distinction. Thus, it is for instance possible in a hotel to provide the keys to the rooms of the different floors with differently colored identification means.

The identification means placed on the keys always form a rigid extension thereof. This has the advantage that the doors are not injured or damaged by suspended labels, plates, balls, etc. as they were usually heretofore, with the keys to hotel rooms. If the keys are hung by the identification means in a key depositary by means of hooks on a board or in a cupboard, the designation plates 19 can at any time be clearly seen from the front. The size of the described identification means contributes also to prevent the keys from being put into ones pocket unintentionally and carried away.

In all businesses where the keys are marked with the small-dimensioned identification means known heretofore, the large identification means herein disclosed according to the invention may serve to distinguish more clearly the keys urgently needed in an emergency, thus for instance the keys of the fire brigade station, medical boxes, firstaid room, garage, ambulance, etc.

What I claim is:

1. Identification means for keys, consisting of a flat rubber-elastic body having side edge surfaces and having a pocket accessible from an outer surface of the body to receive the handle of a key to be marked, and a second pocket for insertion of a designation plate, the front wall of the second pocket being provided with an opening for making visible the inserted designation plate, the body having in addition to the said two pockets at least one rather large recess therein which extends through from one outer edge surface of the body to the opposite outer edge and is particularly intended to receive message slips, the openings for the insertion of the plate and the message slips being provided in the side edge surfaces, the rather large recess having the shape of a slot which can be opened by an elastic deformation of at least a portion of the body so that in the unstressed rest position the width of the slot is a small fraction of the length and the height of the slot, and the length and the height of the slot have substantially equal dimensions.

2. Identification means for keys, consisting of a flat rubber-elastic body having side edge surfaces and having a pocket accessible from an outer surface of the body to receive the handle of a key to be marked, a second pocket for insertion ofa designation plate, the front wall of the second pocket being provided with an opening for making visible the inserted designation plate, the body having in addition to the said two pockets at least one rather large recess therein which extends through from one outer edge surface of the body to the opposite outer edge and is particularly intended to receive message slips, the openings for the insertion of the plate and the message slips being provided in the side edge surfaces, and the pockets for receiving the key handle and designation plate are arranged substantially in the same plane, while the additional recess is a slot which extends parallel to said plane between the back side of the body and the pockets.

3. Identification means for keys, consisting of a flat rubber-elastic body having side edge surfaces and having a pocket accessible from an outer surface of the body to receive the handle of a key to be marked, a second pocket for insertion of a designation plate, the front wall of the second pocket being provided with an opening for making visible the inserted designation plat-e, the body having in addition to the said two pockets at least one rather large recess therein which extends through from one outer edge surface of the body to the opposite outer edge and is par ticularly intended to receive message slips, the openings for the insertion of the plate and the message slips being provided in the side edge surfaces, and a flexible lobe at the edge of the insertion opening of the pocket for receiving the key handle and which consists together with the body of the same piece of material and may be selectively tucked into the pocket beside a thin key handle.

4. Identification means for keys, consisting of a flat rubber-elastic body having side edge surfaces and having a pocket accessible from an outer surface of the body to receive the handle of a key to be marked, a second pocket for insertion of a designation plate, the front wall of the second pocket being provided with an opening for making visible the inserted designation plate, the body having in addition to the said two pockets at least one rather large recess therein which extends through from one outer edge surface of the body to the opposite outer edge and is particularly intended to receive message slips, the openings for the insertion of the plate and the message slips being provided in the side edge surfaces, and a lobe at each of two edges of the insertion opening for the key handle and opposite each other.

5. Identification means for keys, consisting of a flat rubber-elastic body having side edge surfaces and having a pocket accessible from an outer surface of the body to receive the handle of a key to be marked, a second pocket for insertion of a designation plate, the front wall of the second pocket being provided with an opening for making visible the inserted designation plate, the body having in addition to the said two pockets at least one rather large recess therein which extends through from one outer edge surface of the body to the opposite outer edge and is particularly intended to receive message slips, the openings for the insertion of the plate and the message slips being provided in the side edge surfaces, and at the back of the body, away from the (window) opening, there is provided at least one aperture opening into the additional recess.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 917,894 4/09 Pusterla 40330 X 1,795,291 3/31 Dunn 40-330 X 1,977,096 10/34 Straubel 12916.8 2,312,204 2/43 Weindel 40-2 2,932,107 4/60 Manzardo 40330 FOREIGN PATENTS 250,823 4/ 26 Great Britain.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

JEROME SCHNALL, CHARLES A. WILLMUTH,

Examiners. 

1. IDENTIFICATION MEANS FOR KEYS, CONSISTING OF A FLAT RUBBER-ELASTIC BODY HAVING SIDE EDES SURFACE AND HAVING A POCKET ACCESSIBLE FROM AN OUTER SURFACE OF THE BODY TO RECEIVE THE HANDLE OF A KEY TO BE MARKED, AND A SECOND POCKET FOR INSERTION OF A DESIGNATION PLATE, THE FRONT WALL OF THE SECOND POCKET BEING PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING FOR MAKING VISIBLE THE INSERTED DESIGNATION PLATE, THE BODY HAVING IN ADDITION TO THE SAID TWO POCKETS AT LEAST ONE RATHER LARGE RECESS THEREIN WHICH EXTENDS THROUGH FROM ONE OUTER EDGE SURFACE OF THE BODY TO THE OPPOSITE OUTER EDGE AND IS PARTICULARLY INTENDED TO RECEIVE MESSAGE SLIPS, THE OPENINGS FOR THE INSERTION OF THE PLATE AND THE MESSAGE SLIPS BEING PROVIDED IN THE SIDE EDGE SURFACES, THE RATHER LARGE RECESS HAVING THE SHAPE OF A SLOT WHICH CN BE OPENED BY AN ELESTIC DEFORMATION OF AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE BODY SO THAT IN THE UNSTRESSED REST POSITION THE WIDTH OF THE SLOT IS A SMALL FRACTION OF THE LENGTH AND THE HEIGHT OF THE SLOT, AND THE LENGTH AND THE HEIGHT OF THE SLOT HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL DIMENSIONS. 